Sigourney Weaver’s character in Avatar smokes. Not surprisingly, Avatar director James Cameron has drawn criticism from the fascist pussies who complain every time a movie character smokes.

“This is like someone just put a bunch of plutonium in the water supply,” said Stanton A. Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at UC San Francisco.

Yes, it’s exactly like that. *sigh* I wish hyperbole caused cancer. Anyway, this isn’t the interesting part, the interesting part is James Cameron’s response:

Mr. Cameron said he had never intended Ms. Weaver’s character, Grace Augustine, to be “an aspirational role model” for teenagers. “She’s rude, she swears, she drinks, she smokes,” wrote Mr. Cameron. “Also, from a character perspective, we were showing that Grace doesn’t care about her human body, only her avatar body, which again is a negative comment about people in our real world living too much in their avatars, meaning online and in video games.” [NY Times]

…he wrote while putting the finishing touches on 300 million dollars worth of motion capture and computer graphics. -This email sent from James Cameron’s limited edition spacephone.

They should have made her fat too. That way her avatar would always have to explain why she’s breathing heavy.

01.05.10 at 12:29 pm

ChinoMoreno

My avatar’s body is also smokin’

awww, yeah

01.05.10 at 12:30 pm

Al

…care about her human body, only her avatar body

I take it her av doesn’t smoke?

01.05.10 at 12:31 pm

Al

<– is the only one here who hasn't seen this yet

01.05.10 at 12:33 pm

Donkey Hodey

If it’s really a comment on videogamers then why the fuck didn’t she teabag anybody?

01.05.10 at 12:33 pm

Morton Salt

I assumed GRACE Augustine was an obvious reference to St. Augustine of Hippo, whom we all know wrote City of God. Clearly, the Weaver character represents how, as a technologically advanced race (humans = ancient Romans) they inevitably produce radical thinkers that meld technology with the cultural advancements -i.e. theological paradigms- of the occupied cultures (Na’vi =ancient Judeo-Christendom). This in turn results in an overwhelming adoption of said “simple minded mysticism” that inevitably remains for centuries while the “advanced” race fades away. St. Augustine’s stance on “just war” confirms this. Cameron couldn’t have been more clear! Also, she smokes because smoking looks cool on screen.

01.05.10 at 12:34 pm

theend81

didn’t see the movie but…
If I get put in an avatar body, and then sneak onto the marine ship where the bodies are being held in stasis, and I find my own body, then have sex with it… would it be bestiality, rape, gay, or awesome?

01.05.10 at 12:35 pm

Al

I really hate it when I feel like I learned something by reading the comments here.

01.05.10 at 12:38 pm

Morton Salt

It’s not bestiality because it is your own body (see the Road Trip defense of 2000). It isn’t rape because you are consenting. It isn’t gay because I’d do it, which also confirms it as awesome. However, I’d feel better if I bought myself a steak dinner first.

01.05.10 at 12:39 pm

Donkey Hodey

If it were Michael Bay subtly making a comment on videogamers, Grace’s avatar would have had a green diamond above her head for the whole movie.

when i let my cousins use my SSN to work in the US i call them my avatars

01.05.10 at 12:42 pm

Donkey Hodey

Come to think of it, the last boss in Avatar does bear some striking similarities to the last boss in Wolfenstein 3D.

01.05.10 at 12:45 pm

ChinoMoreno

I think Sigourney’s a great role model for young girls. She’s teaching them that smoking makes you look cool and it’s also a great way to lose weight.

01.05.10 at 12:45 pm

Morton Salt

@eend- I assume when you say “licking myself in my avatar body” you don’t mean like a cat, but rather that your avatar is going down on your human self. Tricky situation, I admit, but here’s how it breaks down: If you nut in your own mouth -not gay. If you nut in your own mouth and you swallow -gay. If you swallow and you like it -flaming. If you swap it back to your avatar -you’ve transcended the bounds of single-person sexuality and are officially in uncharted waters. Sexy uncharted waters.

01.05.10 at 12:46 pm

GlennBeckHasAIDS

I thought rape and awesome were synonymous with each other, no?

01.05.10 at 12:46 pm

Donkey Hodey

This explains why the Na’avi didn’t let the other Avatars into their village; it’s not because they were outsiders, they kept them out because they were fucking nerds.

01.05.10 at 12:50 pm

Jacktion!

If this was based on videogamers, then I assume one of the avatars was named “porkporkpork” and ran around yelling, “I’m a little lad who likes berries and cream!” the whole time.

01.05.10 at 1:35 pm

JordeeVee

If anyone has a strong urge to be pissed off about this movie, check out the forums on this fan page:

Also pay attention to the blue face painted virgins on the right. No wit to be had in this comment, just reaching out for somebody to hate on Avatar with me.

01.05.10 at 1:37 pm

JordeeVee

And how fucking terrible are those quotes that they remember from the movie. I’m done. I’m fucking done. Who wants the copy of District 9 I just purchased?

01.05.10 at 2:08 pm

Jimmy Cameron

*SPOILERS FOR MY MOVIE*

Then wouldn’t JAKE SULLY, having destroyed his human body in favour of living forever as an avatar, be the ultimate expression of people in our real world living too much in their avatars, meaning online and in video games???? Didn’t.. Think! Of! Thematic! Implications!